Earlier today, my local news station was talking about sending donations to the family of the little boy who is still fighting for his life from a shark attack. Well, I went ahead and sent a check for $150 dollars to help. I know it's not that much, but every little bit helps. At a time like this, that family should not have to worry, and I hope my donation helps them.

Oh please, i am so sick and tired of hearing of this boy. about a hundred other people get attacked by sharks every year, and i dont see what this kid should get all the attention. Call me uncompassionate, or whatever, but I dont see why this faimly should get any special attention, maybe bad things happen to innocent people everday, and we dont hear about 99.999999% of them. I have heard it on the local news for the past week, the first time was enough, but the 10th time i heard it, its getting redundant. Though I do compliment you on giving the money for him. Though I would rather you have spent the money localy to help.

Ryry, only seven or so people are killed annually worldwide. This kid is suffering the most out of a lot of shark attacks. He is either dying a slow painful death or a slow painfull healing. I doubt shark attacks where people lived are this bad. This kid had be going through excrusiating (sp?) surgery non-stop almost. Most shark attacks are either minor or fatal. In this case, most people would've died quickly, but this kid may be either suffering a slow death, or a slow recovery.

Boeing747-400,
I want to thank you for your donation. I think that was extremely kind of you and it will help. I live in the town he is from, and it is sad. It is unbelieveable how supportive the town is. We have placed yellow ribbons around town, and continue to pray for him.
I hope the best for him, and we hope he comes home soon!

Why are people sending money to the shark attack kid? Is it because of the medical costs involved?

The only time we have these sort of things is where a small child needs some revolutionary treatment or surgical proceedure that has not been learned or perfected enough in this country (rare instances). Hospitals are free here and if you need emergency surgery you get it done ASAP.

There is too much attention on one story. How many kids suffer horrendous injury in carcrashes? Why are they never mentioned? Why are there no TV shows collecting funds for their treatment?
And why confine it only to kids? Do adults not suffer injuries they cannot afford to have taken care of?

This kid was badly hurt, and I hope he gets better. But he is not the only one, and 99.999999% of such cases never get mentioned at all or at best receive a single column item on an inner page of the local paper which maybe 100 people read. This kid was on television all over the world... There are many sharkattacks, often resulting in serious injury. Yet none of those get more than local attention.
Why was there a cameracrew nearby? Sounds almost like someone staged it to get a Pullitzer...

I would much rather donate money to protect sharks than to help save some kid. Way more sharks are killed on a yearly basis then people killed by them. I think they should make commercial fishing for sharks illegal. Cought sharks have their fins cut off as soon they are pulled aboard and are thrown back into the ocean still fully alive to bleed to death. I'd love to do the same to one of the people doing this.

Just my view but if you go for a swim when you know there are sharks in the water then its tough luck if you get attacked. That is the sharks home, not ours. Was this attack not at night, one of the worst times as thats when they feed !!

Jwenting, you bring up an interesting topic that goes way beyond this incident. I think this is a common theme around the world. When children are injured or killed in incidents that are unusual or horrifying, it brings out more acute attention and sympathy. Children getting attacked by animals is a common one, or kids getting stuck in wells, on towers, in ravines and so on. I think with this story, the element of a heroic effort that saved the childen added to its publicity. I don't think you can blame the public. These are just reported that way. This can do harm and mislead the public and even creep into political policy. Look at the school shooting in America. They are publicized to the point were parents are frightened to send their kids to school, yet more kids are killed in playground accidents than shot at school. More kids are killed in grocery stores from falling inventory than at school. School is still the SAFEST place a child could be, yet the press has people seeing otherwise. School shooting, while tragic, are incredibly rare, but nothing is said about the epidemic of children drowning in little blow-up pools. Another good example is airplane crashes. When a plane goes down with 120 people on it, it gets unbelievable press and I suspect it is a good reason why some people are scared to fly. People think planes are death-traps because of the horror that is portrayed when reporting a crash. They ignore the fact that that many people are killed on American highways within a short span of time CONSTANTLY! So I guess the point is that the press seems to 'glorify' (or 'horrify') tragedies based more on HOW the victims are hurt or killed. Does anyone disagree?

I know the kid's brother. I go to school with him. To all of you who donated... Thank you very much.
It is a tragedy and we have posted yellow ribbons (As COLite has said) around town. I hope for the best of him. Thanks to all who support him and donate to him.

What about the shark that was pulled out of his element and executed!!! Hey, if my 8 year old asks me if he can take a swim in the Atlantic ocean at dark, I say Hell no buddy!!! And yes, you better make sure these donations go straight to the kid and not someone's pocket!!! BTW: Why wouldn't his medical insurane cover this?

Was this at dark? Who said that? I thought swimming in the ocean after dark is a good way to get sucked out to sea. Are you guys sure he was swimming at night? Me thinks the story got twisted somewhere along the line. Hmmmm

"[A] lot of times, donations go toward the family because of all the missed worked; "

Fair enough. I'm just worried that when the media gets hold of a story, it gets too much air-time, and the victims are now the recipients of windfalls. I'm not saying this is the case here, because I honestly don't know. But, I do know that some of the recent cases of multiple births (6 and 7 at a time), the parents have been given much much more than any of us would get. Like, how the family had an extension built on the house for free, and these kids already have their college paid for. I had to pay for, and am still paying for my own.

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D L X, I do agree with your point. I would hope that any extra cash would be donated back to maybe the Children's Ward or another victim. I heard a story of the parents of a leukemia patient buying a Lexus with donated money. They were exposed and got what they deserved. Disgusting!!!!!!!!

the newspaper reported that he was swimming around 8:30 at night. I wish the boy a quick recovery. I agree with CYKA that they should ban shark fishing (at least in the Pacific) where Japanese fisherman cut their fins off for shark-fin soup and then toss them back into the sea.